(1940-04-12) End of Spring Break
Details for End of Spring Break
Summary: Students arrive back at the Hogwarts Express to go back to school.
Date: 12 April 1940
Location: Platform 9 3/4
Related:
Characters
LeviMadelineMelodyElspeth

The break is over and that means another train ride back to Hogwarts. The train is docked at platform 9 3/4 which slowly fills up with students and parents as the morning goes on. Its a strict schedule kept for those traveling this way. The cars will slowly fill up inside as well as people find friends and housemates to sit with. Levi is one of those having arrived back onto the station platform he'll leave the luggage to be loaded but keeps his guitar case with him.

"I love you, mum!" Madeline say brightly as she hugs a slightly plump and gentle-face woman in carefully neat Muggle clothing. "Take care of DC for me, da'," she adds, as the young girl transfers the hug to a man with sun-worn features and wrinkles. "I'll write you when I get back to the castle!" She doesn't have very many bags to load up - just a sack heavy with books, which she slings over her shoulders before picking up Mischief's cage. It's a bit of a load, but it looks like she can manage - barely. "I know, I know," she murmurs to the bird. "I'll get you out of the cage when we're on board. Now hush."

Just a few more faces in the crowd, Melody and Eoin are accompanied to the train by one of their older brothers, having said their goodbyes to their parents just a short while ago. Melody pauses to exchange parting words while Eoin dashes off to find his friends, leaving his sister to take care of getting their baggage taken care of. It's short work, older brother takes his leave, and Melody scans the milling students and their families for familiar faces.

With her usual basket over her arm, and the small, tawny, cat with over large ears perched on her shoulder, Elspeth easily makes her way through those boarding the train. She rode the train to London on her own, this time, her parents busy with the bakery, and therefore has no leave taking to do, instead, she scans the faces boarding for her friends.

Levi doesn't board the train but waits beside it. He spots a few people he knows moving through the crowd "Hey, Evans you got all that?" he asks though he spots the one he'd hoped to meet in Melody and smiles raising his hand he'll wave her over if he can catch her attention. He wont ignore Maddie if she needs help of course he also spots another he knows "Heya Rosen, how was break?" The seventh year asks.

"Yeah, I got-" Madeline starts, before one of the Slytherin students bumps her roughly (completely on accident, no doubt) as he passes by. "i-i-iiiit!" the girl stutters out as she struggles to regain her balance - hopefully without having to stop her bird.

The usual, slightly dazed look on Melody's face is replaced by a smile as she spies Levi and his wave. Light steps take her in his direction, and as she settles near she greets with her usual, "Alright, Esmond?" Her smile extends to the small Gryffindor, but disappears like a light switched off as the younger student is jostled. "Beg your pardon," she says pointedly to the Slytherin bumper as he moves off.

Her search successful, Els leaves her basket in a compartment under the watchful eye of the elder of the Eibon brothers, and then heads back out into the corridor. She's close enough to Maddy when she's bumped to lean slightly, her hands extending to spot in case something falls. When everything is back into balance, she smiles to Evans, then straightens and nods to the other older students. "Esmond, Abernathy, were you having an enjoyable break?"

The seventh year returns the smile to Melody when she offers it "Quite well, yourself?" Levi turns as the younger student is bumped reaching to make sure she doesn't drop anything though as the Slytherine in question may turn around he'll nos "Easy Lestrange." He comments as Melody speaks not even wanting more to be said if it can be helped. "It was a good break, Abernathy was nice enough to invite me to her families it was amazing out there. How about your break?"

"Oh - thanks terribly, Elspeth!" Madeline beams as she's nudged back into place. She frowns after the Slytherin for a moment - who's giving Melody a 'problem, Abernathy?' sort of a look before he disappears from sight. The girl decides to just shrug it off. "I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!"

Melody reaches out and 'helpfully' brushes her hand to dust off Madeline, the Slytherin meaning so little to her that she's already dismissed him. She doesn't court fights or confrontations as a rule, and hardly ever holds a grudge. Brown eyes raise to Elspeth and Melody smiles brightly again as she greets the Ravenclaw, "Alright, Rosen?" With barely a beat her gaze returns to Madeline, "It was lovely to be home." And then her eyes wander again, absently skimming for sight of her younger brother.

Elspeth chuckles and nods to Melody. "Alright, Abernathy," she responds and gives a friendly shake of her head to Madeline. "Do not be mentioning it. It is being nothing. We should maybe be finding yo ua place to settle so that Mischief can be taking care of himself." Her gaze shifts to Levi, and she lifts one shoulder. "It was being busy as usual. Doing a lot of baking and helping the family. It is sounding like you were having a wonderful time."

Levi looks back as the danger seems to pass and all is okay. "I bet that was fun, though a lot of work." He says to Elspeth though he nods "I did, I stayed in the Leaky Cauldron for the other part of the break." He says and he'll look on "I agree maybe we can all get a car if one is available." He will looks to see if they need help with their luggage waiting for each to board if they will and he will follow behind.

"Mischief just wants out - she hates being in cages," Madeline says as they start towards the train. "Did you smuggle any baked goods on board, Elspeth?" she adds in a cheery voice. "We had a few early strawberries, and my mum made me a little pocket pie. It's not much, but I could share if anyone wanted. It's really good!"

"I have some egg salad sandwiches," Melody volunteers, trailing along with the others. Although she doesn't carry anything, so one would hope she doesn't have a single sandwich smooshed into a pocket of her cloak. Her eyes no longer drift in search of her brother, but focus on the other three around her.

Elspeth nods her head. "I have been putting it with Lan. It is perhaps being half finished by now," she gives a little smile over the guess when she answers Madeline. Her steps shift to move along with the group as the look for a compartment. "I would be hating being in a cage, as well." The cat on her shoulder seems to agree, as it sends a pitying look to the caged bird while her owner cranes her neck to look into a car.

Levi steps onto the train and will look to the others "Sandwiches sound good." He will look down the isle into the cars "Here's an empty one." The seventh year says though he'll wait to see if they actually want to join in the car before he goes in himself. "Glad everyone had a pretty good break."

Madeline doesn't seem to mind the idea of settling down - at least for a bit. Get Mischief out of her cage, and then go find the pirates! She sets down the cage, and swings the bag off her shoulders with a sigh for relief. "I have too many books!" she declares as she starts opening the cage. "Egg sandwiches sound nice. We had them for lunch the other day - we went on a picnic. Me 'n Asher 'n Saul 'n Miriam."

Melody slips past Levi into the compartment, moving to stand by the seat across from Madeline but not yet sitting. Instead she pauses to open her cloak, one hand holding the fabric while the other pull open an inner pocket so she can peer inside. Then she reaches in and produces, one at a time, two sandwiches, setting each onto 'her' seat. Leaving a couple sandwiches in reserve for Eoin and friends, finally unwraps her cloak and sets it aside before turning and settling after picking up a sandwich in each hand. "Picnics are lovely," she says, somewhat absently, looking placid as the others get settled as well.

"And how are Miriam, Asher and Saul faring?" Elspeth asks as she comes to a stop alongside Melody, smiling to Levi as she passes. "Are they hearing anything from their family at all?" Her attention has been caught, and her inquiry seems a little more serious than the usual polite courtesy.

He will move along with the others and shut the car door once they are all in. Levi will move seeing the others situated he'll sit across from Melody "Those look good, though if you don't have enough I'll understand if the others can have some." He says setting his guitar case down beside him as he finally relaxes a little more.

"Well, there's half a sandwich for each!" Madeline says brightly. "Though I've only the one strawberry pie." As soon as Mischief's cage door is open the bird is out, flapping to stretch her wings before she launches herself up to Madeline's shoulders. The girl giggles. "Alright, alright! Sorry I locked you in! Yeesh." She reaches up to scritch at the bird's head as she adds, "Oh, they've gotten some letters - but they don't come as often as they used to. I think it's been some weeks since the last once. I hope they get another one soon."

Melody nods instantly toward Madeline, "Exactly." The sandwiches are each already cut in half, diagonally, so, with a smile, she hands one brown paper wrapped bundle across to Levi to share with Madeline. She doesn't seem to mind the bird in the least, unwrapping the bundle she kept, then offering it toward Elspeth to choose her half.

"Thank you," Elspeth says to Melody as she chooses the one easiest to pick up. She takes a bite and smiles, "it is being good. I think maybe you should be saving your strawberry pie for you, Evans," she offers. "I am having some pastries if we are being hungry later." Now that Elspeth is sitting, Neko puts her paws on the Ravenclaw's hand to sniff at the half sandwich she holds. At the news however, she nods her head slowly. "We are receiving less mail, as well. I am wishing I could send owl post, because it would always be arriving, but that is not being allowed." She gives a little rueful tug to her lips before she makes eye contact with the feline so that she can take another bite of her sandwich.

Levi will accept the sandwich "Thank you Melody." He says and will unwrap the food and offer half over to the younger student to take. "Any specific plans upon returning to the castle? Besides the feast of course." he asks about the train as they have spoken about their breaks already. He will take the other side of the sammich and take a bite from it and finds that he enjoys it.

Madeline takes her half of the sandwich - and promptly has to hold it out of Mischief's reach when the bird makes a go for it. "Mischief - hey! STAY!" she commands. Surprisingly, the bird complies, though she shifts from foot to foot impatiently while Maddie tears off a corner to feed her. "I can't eat anything without sharing. And - really. You're welcome to come of the pie if you like." She takes a bite of her sandwich, then says with her mouth full, "Do you fink you coul' sen' the le'er to a witch in Germany to fend on?"

Melody holds the paper wrapper like a plate, resting her sandwich half on it between bites. She seems unfocused for a few moments, but is listening to the conversation between Elspeth and Madeline. She never seems to pay particular attention to the muggle issues, but in actuality she's fairly well informed and concerned. But she doesn't comment on the topic, instead her attention coming back to Levi, to answer his generally asked question. "I have a paper to finish that I didn't at home." No Ravenclaw, her. She's always finishing something at the last minute.

Neko walks down the front of her chest and curls up in Elspeth's lap when it's apparent she isn't getting any sandwich, her tail over her nose. "I am not knowing any witches in Germany, but it is being a good idea," she acknowledges to Madeline. Her eyes drift to Levi's guitar case and she smiles. "Maybe after we are eating, Esmond can be playing his guitar. Abernathy, you are being good with music, too. It would be a nice way to be passing the time."

The seventh year finishes his half-sammich and is glad he had that otherwise he'd have been hungry. He looks to Melody and nods "I have some reading to catch up on for class myself." Levi looks to Madeline and chuckles "Crafty bird you have there to be sure." he looks to Elspeth and grins "If we're lucky we can get a duet going like on the train ride to London."

"I have my chanter with me!" Madeline offers brightly. "But not a proper set of pipes." She quickly finishes her sandwich before Mischief can get anymore ideas. "And I sing alright." Looking back to Elspeth she adds seriously, "I hope you can find a German witch. If so - well. Do you think I could piggy-back some letters along with yours? And maybe they could send replies to the German witch to make sure those get through! If the witch didn't mind. If we could find one."

The suggestion brings a nod from Melody at once, "I always have my flute. It was brilliant last time, people coming and going, singing or playing." Surely it'll attract attention as it did on the trip to London. She pops the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth, then starts folding the paper wrapper. Not carelessly, but rather meticulously, and then redeposits it back into her pocket. Then she reaches to take the paper from Levi to go through the same motions, tucking the second wrapper away.

Music is one thing where Elspeth has nothing to add, but she watches Melody fold the paper curiously. She nods across to Maddy. "Certainly, if I am finding a witch who can be trusted more with our correspondence, I will be letting you know." She leans back to finish her sandwich, and tilts her head slightly to the side as her fingers slowly massage around the cat's ears.

Levi looks back to Madeline and nods to her enthusiasm towards the idea "Not sure I know many songs set for that but vocals are appreciated. He looks towards Melody and smiles not surprised at her having the flute and he'll offer the wrapper over. "Thank you again Melody." He will unlock his guitar case and make sure its in tune also look around for some lyrics sheets he has.

"Well, I know Scotland the Brave of course. Everyone learns that one, I gather. And I know Flowers of the Forest - don't suppose you know that one? I'm still working on the Barren Rocks of Eden - it's quite a nice one!" Madeline beams brightly - as if there is nothing anyone on this train would want to hear more than her practicing bagpipe tunes. But at least she only has the chanter.

"Welcome, Levi," Melody chirps brightly, finished with her folding task. She ponders the songs Madeline has named, being more familiar with tunes of a more Welsh than Scotch nature. "I suppose that I could pick it up if I heard you play something." Or at least make it up as she goes along. The song choice doesn't seem of real concern to her, she's accustomed to noodling around a song while others play it as it ought to be played.

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